You Were the One Who Changed
by Fire Born Alchemist
Summary: Isa and Lea were inseparable right up until they lost their hearts together. Having drifted apart, Axel finds someone who makes him feel again while Saix discovers what he truly wanted only after losing it.


"Axel. Hollow Bastion. Recon and heartless containment." The golden eyes didn't even glance at the redhead in front of him while giving the order.

"What the – THERE? TODAY? YOU of all people, Saix – " The angry protest died on Axel's lips as the icy glare was suddenly fixed on him.

"Do you have a problem with this? Axel?" The golden eyes never left the other's emerald ones and the two stood locked in silent confrontation until Axel abruptly spun on his heel and marched off with out another word, vanishing into a corridor of darkness.

Saix watched the tongues of blackness lick at the place where the redhead had been standing without a flicker in his expression.

"Figures Saix WOULD send me here today of all days." Axel sputtered, knocking the last shadow out of the way as he made his way towards the back entrance of Beast's castle. There had been a whole lot more heartless then he had planned on dealing with today which had not done much to improve his mood.

"What the hell is he on? He KNOWS what today is. Just because HE doesn't care. Doesn't remember. Remember that one year ago - " He broke off abruptly and slammed the edge of his chakram into the nearest wall. Breathing hard, he leaned his forehead briefly against the cool surface before abruptly summoning a corridor and portaling out of the castle and into the nearby forest.

He slumped against a tree and sighed heavily, letting his eyes shut and sliding down to the ground. "One year ago today."

Memories flitted through his mind as his chakrams dropped mindlessly from his hands, vanishing in a flash of flame as they hit the ground. Memories of himself, of Saix – no. Not of them. Of the ones they had used to be…

"_I told you this was a dumb place to play frisbee." Isa hissed in Lea's ear as the two boys stood peering up at the wall that arched up and surrounded the misshapen building looming ahead of them._

_ "Actually, I believe the word you used was 'brainless' but that's beside the point." Lea's fingers scuttled like spiders over the stone slab, searching for footholds. "The point is, it's not my fault they decided to build a stupid laboratory right in the middle of the best frisbee playing fields." He scrambled up the side of the wall and crouched like a little monkey at the top. "No worries, though, Isa. We'll have it back momentarily. Got it memorized?"_

_ Isa stood with his arms crossed, scowling up at Lea's perch. "What the heck do you think you're doing? We can't go in there."_

_ Lea grinned. "We can if no one knows we do." _

_ "That doesn't even make any sense – LEA! Get down! Don't you dare – LEA! You can't just climb over – ugh." Isa tried to resist the urge to slam his head into the wall as Lea's flaming bush of hair disappeared over the other side. Muttering to himself, he dug his fingers into a crack in the stone and heaved himself after Lea._

"_Pssst. Lea! LEA!" He hissed, trying to keep his balance on the surprisingly thin wall. "Lea! Where are – mmmf!" The rest of his sentence was muffled as a hand was placed over his mouth from behind._

_ "Shhh. You're way too loud." Isa rolled his eyes as he recognized Lea's voice in his ear. "This is why I never bring you on stealth missions."_

_ Isa flung Lea's hand away from his mouth. "Idiot. Have you gone mad? You can't go down there. Braig will tear you to pieces."_

_ "You make him sound like a vicious guard dog or something when he's really just a lovable, trigger-happy teddy bear with guns. Chill. I've got it covered." Before Isa could respond, Lea had dropped noiselessly to the ground and begun creeping towards the building. _

_ Isa smacked his palm against his forehead and groaned. "Lea! You have no idea where it even landed! I'm leaving before we both die."_

_ "I said I've got it under control, okay? I'm just going to scout out the frisbee's position and then smuggle it out. Simple search and rescue."_

_ "But nothing is ever simple with you," Isa muttered as he folded his arms and settled against an overhanging tree branch. _

_ Within a few moments his perch began to get uncomfortable and he could feel his legs cramping up. "Darn you Lea. Where the hell are you?"_

_ As he leaned forward, the sound of shattering glass broke the quiet, and he heard shouts coming from around the front of the building. He sat up and crossed his arms. "I knew it. I so totally told him this was going to happen. And now we'll both get shot full of holes by that crazy old – "_

_ "Can the victory speech and let's get out of here." Lea swung down from the tree and landed next to him before leaping to the ground. He waved frantically up at Isa, who sat gaping at him. "Hurry up! He wasn't far behind me."_

_ "Where – what – what the hell did you DO?"_

_ Lea put his hands on his hips. "Is now really the time for a mission report Isa?" _

_ Isa made a face at him and shoved himself off the ledge just as a hail of bullets whistled over the top of the wall._

_ Lea held the frisbee over his head. "My suggestion? We run like hell. He's out for blooood." _

_ "Would you just start moving?" Isa snapped, shoving past him._

_ Neither of the boys stopped their mad dash until they had reached the safety of the town. Lea grinned and waved the frisbee over his head. "Mission accomplished!"_

_ Isa glared at him as he tried to catch his breath. "Oh yeah. It was totally worth getting shot at and practically killed for a stupid frisbee."_

_ Lea blinked. "What? Oh. That wasn't the reason he was shooting at us. I doubt he even saw me pick it up."_

_ Isa stared. "Then why did he - ?"_

_ Lea rubbed the back of his head. "Well, see, I kinda heard this noise and there was this cool sort of explosion thing and I wanted to see what they were doing in there. So I climbed up to peek in the window but the stupid branch wouldn't hold me, so I sorta fell and broke a window. By accident. And then they got all mad and started chasing me."_

_ Isa felt his face getting red. "Let me get this straight. We almost got shot and killed just because you felt like being nosy?" _

_ "No no no. Not nosy." He grinned. "I was investigating suspicious activities."_

_ "You. Stupid. IDIOT." Isa bit off the words through clenched teeth._

_ "No harm done, though, right buddy?" Lea said, twirling the frisbee around on his finger. "You needed the adventure anyways. You don't have nearly enough fun in your life."_

_ Isa snarled and lunged forward. "I am going to freaking KILL you, Lea!"_

_ Lea leaped out of reach. "Hey whoa. We're alive, right? What are you complaining about? Hey! I said I was sorry, didn't I? AUGH! Leggo my hair! HELP! Somebody! Anybody! I'm being murdered! ISA I WILL – _

"What are you doing here?" The cold, darkly evil voice, jerked Axel from his memories as he suddenly realized he had a steel blade at his throat. He looked up blankly into glittering green eyes and let out a hissing breath.

"Sephiroth."


End file.
